It’s a magnificent build that has been two years in the making. Froukje has released various pieces and sets over the last two years that were created for the house – and many have found their way into homes across the grid. But now, for the first time, all that creativity is drawn together in one magnificent home – and Designing Worlds was given the opportunity to explore it.

Froukje Hoorenbeek’s Home – the kichen, photographed by Wildstar Beaumont

And as we explore it, we talk to Froukje about how she designs and creates, and the role that her life in the Netherlands plays in her creations.

The latest episode of Designing Worlds – where we look back at the stunning builds that we saw at the Relay for Life of Second Life weekend at the end of July – is now on the web.

Sadly, we only had time to visit a few of the great builds, and talk to a small number of the talented creators behind them – we just wish we could have shown everything. Thankfully, our wonderful photographer Wildstar Beaumont was on hand to ensure that we have many more on our slide show!

Enlightment – Designer Sim created by Lemondrop Serendipity and photographed by Wildstar Beaumont

Relay Wizards for SpUnKy campsite, created by Anhayla Lycia and Relay Wizards for SpUnKy, phographed by Wildstar Beaumont

Yes, Designing Worlds is back for a whole new season – and we’re inviting you to to join us today, Monday 8th September at 2pm SLT at the Designing Worlds studio in Garden of Dreams as we look back at the stunning builds that we saw at the Relay for Life of Second Life weekend at the end of July.

Sadly, we only had time to visit a few of the great builds, and talk to a small number of the talented creators behind them – we just wish we could have shown everything. Thankfully, our wonderful photographer Wildstar Beaumont was on hand to ensure that we have many more on our slide show!

Designer Sim created by Beq Janus, phographed by Wildstar Beaumont

Wildstar and Saffia were both thrilled to be awarded two of the first ever Community Champion Awards at the Wrap Up for this year’s Relay for Life of Second Life. The other recipients of this award were Stingray Raymaker and Daniel Voyager. Saffia says: “That’s very awesome company for me to be keeping! I was so privileged to receive this award – working with Relay for Life of Second Life is not just a pleasure, it’s a privilege.”

Saffia also won another award – Smell the Roses – The Clown Awards – for her Twerking for a Cause. This was a moment at the telethon captured by Petlove Petshop. She was wearing my dinkie avatar (a cute little cat) for one of the hours and someone mentioned the fact that Saffia could twerk as a dinkie. So it was agreed that if the telethon team raised 10,000 Lindens (the Second Life virtual currency – it would be about US440) by the top of the hour, the dinkie would twerk. By the top of the hour, people watching the telethon had donated a total of 22,000 lindens (around US$900) and … the dinkie twerked.

And in other video news, Elrik and Saffia were challenged to the Ice Bucket challenge by Nikki Mathieson. You can see the results below!

Hunt Reporter Cinders Vale offers gifts from the Skull-n-Bones Hunt, the Fairy Tale Hunt and the Do the Dot Hunt with a new fashion show. You will see posters for the active grid wide hunts, those accepting applications and an announcement for the new home for Happy Hunting. You will find a link to our very own HQ in the sidebar on our website.

The latest episode of Designing Worlds – where we visit the some of the fascinating Japanese regions on the grid to discover how they are tackling the question of the new user experience and Second Life retention – is now on the web.

After our last show on the topic of new user experience and retention (and the Prim Perfect build at the SL11B Community Celebration), it was suggested to us that we should take a look at what was happening in the Japanese regions to welcome and support new users. So, with the aid of a fantastic guide, Kengo, we visited various groups and individuals who have created a wide range of projects and groups to support new Japanese residents. And you can see the results on tonight’s show.

SL Utopia

We visit a newcomer support group – SL Utopia and the Beginners’ Center located close by, the Yumix estate, which offers special support for newcomers, Melsapo – another newcomer center and group, and the Hotel Riverside, which offers special accommodation for free to newcomers. And we also take a look at something that draws together Japanese people in Second Life – television created for Japanese residents, which offers a very full range of programming (they even have a very popular show that explores Second Life regions – rather like Designing Worlds!).

Msapo – support for Japanese residents

And we would like to offer many thanks to those who have helped with the creation of this show – firstly Kengo, who arranged all the meetings with Japanese residents, and not only translated our questions into Japanese, but provided translations of all the responses. We would also like to thank the people who participated: Sayully Noel, Bucchus McDonnell, Tomoyo Newall, Halfapple Kidd, Yumix Writer, Eflora Loup, Kero Nishi, Okota Wingtips, Ayumi Hammerer and Clione Clary. And we would also like to extend our thanks to the many others who came to the different locations to offer support.